I wanna see you be brave
by Linneagb
Summary: Millie and Marley lives in Lima. Marley's four but is about to turn five. But first... a visit at the dentist's. *Birthday present for GleeJunkie007* Kid!fic


**So. Here comes another birthday present to add to the list. So today we say a his wasbig HAPPY BIRTHDAY to GleeJunkie007. Here we go.**

 **Little Marley is portrayed by (Younger) Mackenzie Foy. Little Ryder is portrayed by (Younger) Davis Cleveland. Peter is portrayed by Tom Everett Scott.**

"Come on now Mar. It's time to go."

My four- soon- five year old daughter Marley crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. It wasn't like her to refuse like this. But today was the day before her birthday- and she was not going to the dentist the day before her birthday.

"Please Mar."

"No. I need to wait here. Or we won't be home when daddy is here."

Marley pouted again and shook her head slightly. This really wasn't like her, she was nice and the child that would be the easiest to care for in the world's history. As long as she could sing all she wanted and I told her it was beautiful (a couple of years ago not so much, but now it was actually starting to sound quite nice) she would do mostly everything I asked her to.

"Mar. Daddy isn't coming until late tonight and I know you know that. So don't you think that we should go to the dentist and time will be passing by faster than it would if we only sit here and wait?" Marley still held her arms crossed over her chest. But wasn't half as sternly looking at me anymore and seemed to relax

"Marley. If you come right now. Then maybe I'll give you an extra birthday present tomorrow."

Marley still hesitated slightly, but then nodded and took my hand. "Can I wear that lip gloss that daddy gave me?" I nodded. "Okay, wait a second." Marley let go off my hand again and ran into her bedroom. And then came out with all red lips before she took my hand again and we walked down the road to the dental office.

The dental office was only a small, local one. It took us not even five minutes to get there and we didn't even have to waste any money on petrol to get ourselves there which was always a good thing with our economy. The dentist was a woman around my age with kind eyes and a bright smile that calmed my scared little girl down whenever she'd have to go there.

Marley had been scared of dentists since we lived in Bangor, Maine and had had a cavity that needed to be fixed. With needles, not- working anesthesia, screaming and crying and an old man of dentist who forced Marley's mouth wide open while he was doing his. That would be enough for Marley to be afraid of dentists for the rest of her life- and enough for me to feel terrible about having to take her to the dentist while she was still too little to go on her own.

"Hello."

It had usually been empty in the waiting room whenever we went to the dentist here. Now there sat a mum and her son (I guessed) around the same age as Marley. The boy had greeted us and had a wide smile on his lips, brown eyes and spiked, brown hair.

"Hi."

Marley answered the boy shyly and if possible the boy's smile just grew even bigger. I nodded to his mum and sat down only a few chairs from the mother with the boy to let Marley and the boy talk to each other.

"I'm Ryder. Ryder Lynn. I'm five years old. Who are you?"

The boy was now smiling (As if possible) even bigger and with that squinting his eyes while looking at my daughter. Marley herself looked up at me for approval. I nodded and Marley turned to Ryder while still holding onto my hand.

"I'm Marley Rose. I'm four, but my birthday is tomorrow and then I'll be five like you."

"Oh, your birthday's tomorrow?"

The children kept on chattering happily while I turned to the mum and we just sat there and talked children until Dr. Keller came out. "Oh, Marley and I. We move around a lot and we have only been living here in Lima for around six months. But she likes it, so I hope we will be able to stay here time." Was said after a few minutes.

"We've lived just down the street since I was pregnant." Mrs. Lynn answered me and gestured towards her son. "We all love Lima, and it seems like your daughter and my Ryder are already great friends so I hope you can stay too. Ry doesn't have a lot of friends. Sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

I thought back quickly, it had just seemed natural to start talking about thee children when they sat right in between us so I realized we had never really shook hands and introduced ourselves so I held my hand out and waited a moment for her to take mine.

"How rude of me. I'm Millie. And as you know. This is my daughter Marley."

"No worries. I did the same. I'm Kristen Lynn, and as you may know. This is my son Ryder."

Mrs. Lynn put a hand on her son's back and then stretched her neck and looked on something behind me. I heard a door close and understood that it was Dr. Keller that had come out of her office and she came to stand in front of us while she seemed kind of nervous.

"There's been a double booking for your time." She stated calmly. "And it turns out both Marley and Ryder have got the time at half past ten. But I've got a spare time right after so one of you can have that one… I am so, so sorry. I would have called earlier but I didn't notice it until now so I honestly am so, so sorry."

"That's okay." Ryder told her before any of us adults could. "Can I come and hold Marley's hand while she's in with you?" The dentist looked at me and then at Mrs. Lynn and we nodded first to each other and then to her. And Dr. Keller nodded to Ryder. "YAY. Can I go first then? And Marley can come so she will see nothing bad will happen?" Dr. Keller nodded again. "Okay, come on Marley. I'll show you nothing will hurt and Dr. Crossword's really nice."

Dr. Crossword?

I glanced to Mrs. Lynn. "The last time we took Ryder here she was on a break when she got here and sat in the waiting room with her lunch and a crossword. Ry had never seen a crossword before so he asked her what it was and the rest is what we call history. Now he refuse to call her anything else than Dr. Crossword. And she thinks it's hilarious so she just encourages him." I nodded. "Okay." She took her son under the arms to lift him up in the dentist chair. "One, two, three and jump!"

Ryder began with showing Dr. Cro… hrm… Dr. Keller the biggest smile he possibly could. And she went along turned to him in the chair and put as for what me looked like a few tons of equipment into his mouth. Ryder giggled when the equipment tickled him on the lip, but Marley just held tightly onto my hand and waited nervously while Dr. Keller finished her job with Ryder and let Ryder choose a sticker from a box before he jumped down from the chair and skipped over to Marley and me and took Marley's hand.

"It doesn't hurt at all. See? It tickles." Marley wouldn't let go of my hand so I had to come with her and sit by the chair, continuing to hold her hand while Ryder stood on the other side holding her other one. "It's okay Marley." He whispered in her ear, only just loud enough for all of us to hear. "It won't hurt at all."

What Ryder told her didn't help at all, and she was gripping so tightly onto my hand I would for certain get bruises while Dr. Keller picked out one equipment after the other and put it into Marley's mouth.

"No cavities." Dr. Keller stated at last. "And you've done your brushing and flossing I can tell. You've also got a lose tooth. Do you want me to get it out so you can get a dollar from the tooth fairy?" Marley immediately closed her mouth sternly and shook her head. "No?"

"Daddy does it. He has a special nipper"

"Oh… Well you're a very brave girl then. I would never let anyone pull out my teeth with a nipper. But is your daddy a nice guy?" Marley nodded- she loved her daddy more than anything, despite them being so far apart. "So you know that he'd never do anything that would hurt you then?" Marley nodded again. "Is that why you let him do that?" Nod again. "Okay, that's good. Do you want to have a sticker too? Oh, the sticker with a picture of a microphone. That's my favorite too." Marley crawled down from the chair and we walked out from the dentist's office, it didn't seem like Marley thought we could do it fast enough.

"Mar." I stopped right outside the door to the dentist and took both of Marley's small hands in my bigger. "How about… I know I said we wouldn't have a party this year…" I fought the thoughts about why away. That we didn't have any extra money or anything. "But how about… If I'd let you ask Ryder if he wants to come by tomorrow."

Marley nodded. "I'd like to do that mummy." I nodded to her and to Ryder and she turned around but seemed shy. "Mummy said that… ehrm…" She glanced up at me. "Mummy." She reached up to me and I bent down. "Can you help me ask?" I nodded and patted her shoulder.

"Ryder. Since it's Marley's birthday tomorrow we were going to have a little celebration with me and her and Marley's daddy's coming and we'll be eating her favorite foods and such. So she and I were wondering if you and your mum would like to come over to ours and celebrate with us." Ryder looked up at his mum with a hopeful look in his eyes, and she nodded.

"Yes. I would like that very much Mrs. Rose."

"Oh please honey. Just call me Millie. Everybody does. And that goes for you too." I turned to mrs. Lynn who just nodded. "So… We live down this street on Whitman avenue number ninety eight. A grey house. So… Can you be at ours at… three in the afternoon?" Mrs. Lynn nodded and noted it in her phone. "Okay, I'll see you then."

For the next few hours Marley switched in between talking about Ryder, and how much she was looking forward to him coming. To talking about her dad. And how much she was looking forward to him coming. I was just happy that Marley was happy and despite her constant nagging- which so wasn't like her I wouldn't have wanted it any other way now when she was happy.

And so the house phone called. Which Peter was paying for- since I couldn't afford it. And who was it calling if not Peter himself?

"Millie," He didn't even greet me before he panicking spoke my name. "I know I said I'd be there tonight but I got the time with the bus tickets all wrong. And I am so sorry. I will be there before Marley's birthday is over and will catch the first best flight to Lima that I could possibly find to catch. Even though it's unlikely I will be there tonight."

I looked to Marley once I'd hung up on Peter after he told me he would turn his phone off just in case he caught a plane earlier than he thought. How was I supposed to destroy such a big part of her happiness just right now? I thought about letting her be happy for several hours more, but as on a given signal Marley stopped in the middle of the kitchen floor, smiled up at me and asked me when her daddy was arriving.

"Mar." I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and lifted her to it on my lap. "That was your daddy calling. And he missed the plane he was going to catch. So he'll try to catch the first one he can. And he will be trying to still come here before your birthday is over. But he might not make it in time and come first the next day or a couple of days after."

Immediately the light in Marley's eyes went out and she slumped in my lap. "But he said he'd come before it was bedtime tonight." I nodded- I knew what he had said. "Can we stay up so we'll be here if he comes just a tiny bit later?" I shook my head. It was time for bed now and Marley knew it. "But, but what if he comes then?" I brainstormed quickly to try and find a solution for her current problem just in case Peter would arrive earlier than he thought.

"Tell you what Mar. We leave the door unlocked and then we sleep in the living room. Then we'll hear and wake up if Peter comes, is that okay?" Marley nodded. "Okay, but then go and get yourself ready for bed right now and I will set the couch ready for the both of us." Marley jumped down from my leg and hurried into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into pyjamas. And at the same time I put sheets over the sofa cushions and carried over our quilts and pillows.

For God knows how many hours after we had gone off to get to sleep and Marley had fallen asleep, I laid awake and just listened to her soft and slow breathing. And right there, right then. Nothing in the whole world could have made me happier. If only Peter had caught his flight…

"Mummy" The next day when Marley stood by the kitchen window in waiting for Ryder to arrive. "My friend Jake. He barely meets his daddy and says that every time they are going to meet and such his daddy doesn't show up and such things. Now when daddy is late for the first time. Does it mean that he's going to start being like Jake's daddy?" I took a break from cooking and lifted up Marley to stand on one of the kitchen chairs so we'd be around the same height, laid my hands on her shoulders and looked her sternly in the eyes.

"Marley Marie Rose. Now I want you to listen to me very closely. I know that you know that your daddy loves you very much. And he'd never do to you what Mr. Puckerman is doing to Jake and his other children." Marley nodded. "He just missed his flight because he got the time wrong that's all and…"

"They're here. They're here."

Marley jumped down from the chair and took my hand and waited for Mrs. And young Mr. Lynn to come and knock the door before we walked out in the hallway and opened the door to them.

"Hello Marley. Happy birthday. And hello Milly." Kristen greeted us and gently pushed Ryder in front of her. Who held onto a present wrapped in princess- printed paper. He had the biggest smile so far on his lips and didn't say a word while he stepped over the threshold and reached the present forward towards Marley with the biggest smile and the most shining eyes that a five year old could have. "Ry, wasn't there something you were going to say?" Ryder seemed confused first but then nodded.

"Happy birthday M- Marley." He stuttered a bit but continued smiling big and Marley was shyly hiding behind my leg. "I got you a present. It's not new. But mummy and daddy bought it for my sister when she had just turned five and then she never even opened the box. I asked her if I could give it to you instead because I thought you would like it and she told me she just wanted to get rid of it so… here."

"It's okay Mar." Marley was still hiding behind my leg. "You can take that gift." Marley nodded and slowly took a step towards Ryder and reached out her hand to take the present he was still holding her. And she sat down on the floor to open it and Ryder sat down. And still his smile hadn't faded and… Wow he must be getting some cramps in his cheeks soon!

At last Marley had opened the present to a plastic box with three Swarovski glass bears, one holding a four- leaf clover. One holding a number five, and one holding a pink heart with a pink glass bow on its glass head.

"Wow!" I couldn't help myself. These glass figures weren't cheap things. "Is that true? That you bought them for Ryder's sister." Kristen nodded.

"Yep. Kaya wanted those figures so badly. She tried with absolutely everything to make her daddy by them and she's got him wrapped around her little finger so when she at last told him she'd pay him back with the money she was given from grandma and grandpa on her birthday and at last he gave in. When she came home she put it on a shelf in the hallway and haven't looked to it ever since. But still I was kind of surprised when she let Ryder give it to Marley. But… whatever makes his best friend happy… Because that's everything he's been talking about since yesterday. My new best friend Marley" Kristen smiled and shook her head slightly, and with that we walked into the kitchen. Ryder and Marley crawled up to sit on the kitchen sofa and Marley seemed a bit shy at first. But Ryder just had it and soon she had lightened up a bit.

"Have you seen that it's raining today?" Ryder asked her and looked out the window you could barely see out of thanks to the heavy rain that wouldn't stop falling. "We could go outside later and dance. I dance in the rain sometimes. It's loads of fun. Mummy says dancing in the rain is like when you feel kind of sad it's kind of raining. And when you're dancing you're doing something happy. And that's why I dance when I get sad. Sometimes it makes me happy again. Do you dance when you're sad? You seem a bit sad now. Maybe we can just dance in here?" Ryder looked around the kitchen and sent a questioning look to me.

"You can't dance in here right now." I told the children, mostly Ryder. "I've got warm things on the stove so if you dance you might hit those and then you'll burn yourself on it. Maybe after dinner. Okay?" Ryder nodded and looked around the kitchen to take all of the impressions in from the stove in one corner, to the low cupboard in the opposite.

"Mum's making special kind of food today because it's my birthday." Marley turned to Ryder. "She's making pizza with scampi. And then for dessert we're having toasted marshmallow ice cream. They're both my favorites. Do you know what scampi is?" Ryder shook his head. "It's like shrimps but big ones. They're really good. But only when mum makes them."

"I don't really like shrimps." As Marley and Ryder continued their conversation with Marley promising Ryder that everybody liked the shrimps when I made them. I could see Peter half running up the driveway with a present for Marley under his arm. But decided not to tell Marley about it so she would be surprised and was also when the door was opened and Peter's voice echoed through the house.

"I heard my birthday girl is somewhere in here."

"DADDY." Marley screeched and jumped down from her chair, out to the hallway and straight into the arms of Peter who 'lifted her up high. "Daddy, you came."

"Of course I came Mar. I just missed my flight, but I did some switches and paid some tickets and now I'm here. With a very big box… Who do you think it's for?" Peter shook the box and backed away from Marley so they came into the kitchen. "Do you think it's for your mum?" Marley shook her head. "Do you think it's for your friend over there?" Peter nodded to Ryder. "No? That woman then?" He nodded to Kristen. "No, not that either? Do you think it's for me then? No? Then who's it for? I can't see anyone else in this room?" Marley was jumping where she stood of excitement.

"It's for me. It's for me."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Peter held out the present to her. "Open it carefully now okay?" Marley put the present down on the floor and slowly started pulling off the tape. "Hey Mills." He gave me a hug from the side. "I'm sorry I came late. I was certain the plane would leave in the evening and yeah… you already know the whole story. I'm a few hundreds of dollars more poor than twenty four hours ago. But I would give it all to see Marley so happy." Peter smiled slightly and suddenly there was a kind of distant look in his eyes and I knew he was thinking about Jack again.

Jack- or Jackie Zachariah Rose which his full name had been mine and Peter's first born. Long story short, Jack died of SIDS on his first birthday. Exactly one year later I found out I was pregnant again, but it was just all too hard to think about and when it had been even harder right then I and Peter had drifted apart so to the point at last there was no turning back. And sticking together would hurt both us and- then two year old Marley more than what it would do if we just made the right and mature choice to separate. And at last Peter had moved to California to be close to his parents and sister. He took over his old uncle's farm and (as of now) had one pony, one dog, three chickens, one rooster two cows and around two hundred sheep. Marley was rarely there. But she had been there once and getting her out of there was the hardest thing I'd ever done.

I meant to say something, but when right before Marley unwrapped Peter's present and was interrupted. "Wow daddy. A microphone, a big collection with books about Pippi Longstocking and notebooks and pencils and loads of things for school. And a huge bag of Marshmallows. Wow daddy. I love it." Marley got onto her feet and hugged Peter around the stomach while Peter was looking quite apologetic to me. And I couldn't help to feel bad since I couldn't get her as many and as fun things as Peter did because money was just tight and I had to get what she needed.

"Here." I handed her the birthday from me. "It's nothing fancy but…" I realized Marley wasn't listening to me anyway and ripped the paper off to a sweatshirt- blue and white that she had wanted, a backpack, and a butterfly necklace. "So, do you like that? And Mar, before you open that bag of Marshmallows. If you eat all of those tonight you're going to get a stomachache so try not to eat all at once okay." Marley nodded.

"I love it mum. And I'll just eat one every once in a while so I don't. Daddy, daddy, daddy." Marley stood up and jumped by her father's legs and he lifted her up and we walked out into the kitchen and let Peter, Ryder and Kristen introduce themselves before Marley continued.

"Daddy. I've got a loose tooth. I need you to pull it out." Peter searched through his pockets and pulled up a 'special' nipper he had in his chest pocket and lifted Marley onto his lap and she opened up her mouth and pointed saying something I couldn't catch for words.

"Okay, I can see it's loose there but it's not very loose so I might not get it out so… one, two, three." Peter stuck the nipper into Marley's mouth and the room was dead silent to let him concentrate all until he pulled the nipper out again. With Marley's tooth in it. "See, look at that. Did it hurt?" Marley shook her head and Peter just chuckled. "Yeah, you're my little brace girl are you?" Marley nodded. "Okay, go put that tooth in your special box and wash out your mouth out too."

While Marley ran to her room Peter turned to Ryder whose chin had dropped and he looked from Peter to the nipper in Peter's hand and up to Peter again with big eyes and a hand by his mouth as if he was ready to put it over his mouth to keep Peter from sticking that nipper into his mouth if he would try it.

"Have you got any loose teeth?"

Ryder seemed frightened at Peter's question, but couldn't lie and slowly bobbed his head up and down while Peter went to wash off the nipper in the sink. And the frightened look in his eyes didn't fade. Especially not when Peter sat back on the wooden couch right next to him and held up the nipper.

"Do you want me to pull out yours too?"

Seeming more frightened than ever Ryder quickly shook his head and when Peter pushed the nipper down into his pocket again it didn't calm him down. Peter noticed this, and smiled comforting towards the young boy.

"Don't worry about it. I would never do it if you didn't want me to. I didn't dare to let my dad do it to my baby teeth. But Marley lets me, and I still can't quite figure out why. Either she's very brave, or very crazy. Or a good bit of both. I say both or what do you think?"

Ryder finally laughed and relaxed while Marley had come back into the kitchen and stood and pouted towards her dad who smiled and held out his arms so she could come and crawl into his lap.

"Oh Mar. You know I wouldn't want to have it- or have you any other way. I love you being crazy and being brave and being completely nuts. And you know that."

Looking to Marley with her dad my heart was breaking. I hated myself for having to let both myself and my daughter move around and would a lot rather just move to California, where Peter had lived since we separated and stay there so she could live with both me and him. And if the kids' bullying towards me would be just towards me it wouldn't matter. Only, I couldn't let that happen to my daughter and then… I didn't have much choice but then to move around like this. No matter how much it hurt.

"You okay? You look distressed." Peter had left Marley and Ryder on the couch and came over frowning to me. "I know you've only been living here for a pretty short matter of time but… has it started?" I knew what it meant and nodded to him. "Long ago?" I shook my head. "To you or to…." He gestured towards Marley.

"Towards the both of us. Mostly towards Marley for some reason and yeah… You know, all of that jazz. And… I don't know. I want us to move… but look at them two met Ryder and I mean they're already best friends. How could I pull her away from him and… At the same time I kind of want to move and be closer to you because seeing you and her together I can't believe I even have the heart to keep her away from you in this way. Yes?" Peter held up his hands to silent me and I waited for him to speak his mind and thoughts about things.

"I don't blame you for keeping Marley and me away from each other like this Mill. And I know Marley doesn't do that either. I know you don't have much choice and if I could I would move along with you every single time but… There is a small house in my block for sale. And even though you might have to move away after not so long again. I can help keeping some of those bullies away with my very big muscles." Peter pretended to be very macho with clenching his fists and pretending to hit something. "But… I do know in all of it we've got a little girl who is very strong and very brave. And just for that you know she will make new friends. And go wherever where you go to keep you safe like you want to keep her safe." I nodded. "And I think I know where she's got that bravery from." Peter glanced meaning to me and I felt myself blush. "Mill. I know that we had some… to least say very rough patches with first losing Jackie." I opened my mouth to switch the subject. "And I know it made us drift apart. And no, I'm not talking we should try to get together because you and I are over and done."

"You could say that again!"

"Haha, very funny. But… As long as we can stay friends I think it would be the best for Marley if we are both in her life as much as we possibly could. And… I don't live too far away from some very cool places in California and I do believe my neighbor is an amateur singer who likes to give lessons in music and singing to small girls for free. And then we can let Marley sing… and sing not only in the shower."

"I don't sing in the shower daddy. I preform." Peter laughed shortly and lowered his voice even more when he continued.

"And yes, I'm very much trying to make you buy that little house at number fifteen." I smiled, but shook my head at him. "I could help you pay for it… Pretty please?" I sighed and thought for a minute, but didn't have the chance to come to a decision before Marley caught our attention.

"What are you talking about? We're not moving again, are we?"

I looked to Peter and hesitated. He quickly took matters into his own hands. "No, but we planned on how three everybody in here will shout a huge happy birthday Marley…" Before Marley had reacted to what he said he continued. "One, two three…"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARLEY."

 **Happy birthday Marley and happy birthday Ally. I hope you liked it, and everybody else if there is anybody else reading it.**

 **I guess Marley is a bit OOC but aren't all children like that? Anyway, I could picture Marley being really excited about her daddy coming and everything. So, I hope it at least made sense and that no one was too OOC**

 **Random fact**

I think this is the seventh birthday present I write, the eighth I put on here. And the third I write about glee characters when they were a lot younger than in the series. Although, in the other two when they were younger. It was only parts of the stories.


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